Control for alarm clocks



Nov. 22, 1949 E. B. MOSS 7 CONTROL FOR ALARM CLOCKS Filed Oct. 5, 1944 Patented Nov. 22, 1949 CONTROL FOR ALARM CLOCKS Eric Beecroft Moss, London, England, assignor to S. Smith & Sons (England), Limited, London, England, a British company Application October 5, 1944, Serial No. 557,334 In Great Britain November 22, 1943 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an alarm control for an alarm clock of the kind in which a control member is movable in two ways, one of which Ways may be employed after the warning signal has commenced, temporarily to lock the alarm energisin mechanism against further operation, while the other way may be employed permanently to lock the alarm mechanism against operation, either before or after an alarm signal has commenced. Such arrangements are particularly applicable to alarm clocks which are arranged to give a Warning signal once every twenty-four hours. It is known, in the above kind of clock to provide a push-button control, which can either be given a simple depressing movement so as temporarily to arrest the alarm energising mechanism, or which may be both depressed and rotated while in the depressed position, so as permanently to retain the button in that position and lock the alarm operating mechanism. In order to enable this rotational movement to be applied a somewhat unsightly form of push-button is required, and this form of button introduces the risk of accidental or unwanted rotational movement. An object of the present invention is to overcome these difficulties.

According to this invention, an alarm control for an alarm clock of the kind first referred to above, is characterised in that said control member is arranged to be movable successively and bodily in two directions transverse to one another, so that a movement in the first direction temporarily locks the alarm out of operation and movement in the two directions permanently locks the alarm out of operation.

In one arrangement, the control member may be so mounted that it can be both rocked about a fixed axis and moved transversely to that axis, which latter movement is arranged to lock the control member at one extremity of its rocking movement, and thereb lock the alarm operating mechanism against operation.

In an alternative arrangement a floating pushbutton is provided having a portion thereof arranged beneath a fixed overhanging part of the clock mounting so as to provide contacting faces shaped to form a cam and cam follower, which button is guided in a slot in said casing so that it may be moved in an up and down direction to separate said co-operating faces, or in a transverse direction so as to cause the button to be depressed and then look it in a depressed position.

The following is a description of two alternative embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section from front to back of the top half of a clock showing one form of alarm control;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 1 of an alternative form of alarm control; and

Figure 4 is a plan of Figure 3.

Referring to the arrangement shown in Figures l and 2, the clock casing I0 is provided at the top with a thickened portion I I extending from front to back, which thickened portion is formed with a channel I2 extending from the rear end of the thickened portion along a part of the length thereof. The bottom of the channel is closed by a platform I3 leaving an aperture I i near the centre of the casing. The rear end of the channel is open and the end faces of the side walls of the channel are slotted at I5 to accommodate a pivot-pin I6. The pivot-pin is retained in the slots by two lugs II which are upset from the back cover 31 so as to enter the channel I2 and engage the pin I6.

The push-button 2!! for controlling the alarm operating lever I9 is in the form of a lever which is hook-shaped at one end and forked at the other so as to engage the pin I6. The hooked shaped end is provided with a downwardly extending nose 2| which extends through the aforesaid aperture I4 so as to engage the lever I9 and is also provided with a forwardly extending lip 22 which is engageable with the underside of the platform l3.

The upper limb 23 of the forked limb is longer than the lower limb 24. A spring 25 is arranged to engage the underside of the push-button so as to urge the hooked end upwardly while depressin that part of the upper limb 23 which extends beyond the pin I6, whereby the end of the limb is disposed opposite the back cover 31. The upper side of the hooked portion is knurled at 26. When this end is depressed the upper limb 23 of the forked end is brought clear of the back cover and the press button can then be moved laterally so that the lip 22 is engaged with the underside of the platform I3 and the press button and alarm operating lever are retained in a depressed position and the alarm maintained out of operation. If the press button is depressed without being moved laterally the alarm is only temporarily rendered inoperative, the usual mechanical means associated with the clock movement being provided to release the operating lever.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4 the push-button 21 is arranged to extend through a slot 28 in the clock casing 29 which constrains it to move rectilinearly in an up and down or fore and aft direction. The push-button is provided with extensions 30 and 3| on each side thereof, and with a downwardly extending projection 32 beneath it. The two extensions are arranged to underlie portions 33, 34 of the wall of the casing, and the extension 3| is provided with an upward projection 35 having an inclined face disposed opposite a shoulder provided by the portion 34 of the casing, whereas the extremity of the other extension is provided with an inclined face which is arranged to engage a shoulder provided by the overlying portion 33 of the clock casing adjacent it. The push-button is urged upwardly by a spring 36 secured to the back cover 31 so as to maintain the two pairs of cooperating faces in engagement. The push-button can be pushed downwardly against the action of the spring, and when the pressure is released it again returns, or it can be pressed downwardy and along the aperture so that the inclined faces on the extensions 30, 3| ride over the shoulders and the upper extremities of the extensions engaging the overlying portions of the casing, whereby the push-button is retained in the bottom position. The upper faces of said extensions may be marked On and Off in such a position that only one of these markings appear in the aperture, and indicate the condition of the control mechanism.

I claim:

1. An alarm control for an alarm clock, comprising a control member, a pivotal mounting for said control member adapted to permit transverse movement of the member relatively to the pivot axis, means for constraining said member to rock about said axis, and a detent for holding said member in a position after successive pivotal and transverse movements.

2. An alarm control for an alarm clock, comprising a control member, a pivotal mounting for said member adapted to permit up and down movement of the member and also bodily movement in a direction transverse to the pivot axis, and detent means for holding said member in a position after said successive downward pivotal and transverse movements.

3. An alarm control for an alarm clock comprising a lever provided at one end with a down wardly-directed' hook portion, a fork at the other end, a pivot pin arranged to engage said forked end, which forked end is provided with an upper limb longer than the lower, a stop, means for urging said hooked end upwardly so as to bring the longer limb of the fork opposite said stop so as to prevent said transverse movement, a memher for engagement by said hooked end when that end is depressed and moves laterally.

ERIC BEECROFT MOSS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 871,900 Trautman Nov. 26, 1907 1,838,069 Arden Dec. 22, 1931 2,020,388 Watson e- Nov. 12, 1935 

